Payday 2: Crimewave Edition - PlayStation 4

Release Date:

Also on:

Viewing UK:

Summary:

Payday 2: Crimewave Edition on the PlayStation 4 was developed by Overkill Software before being released under the umbrella of 505 Games. Hyper violent crime robbery action has been the forte of this morally ambiguous series since the release of the first title. The Crimewave Edition looks to master what the initial release, Payday 2, did well while enhancing it in a few key ways. Payday 2: Crimewave Edition is the perfect complement, we found, to those looking for a strategic shooting game that gives them the depth of a decent RPG with the action of a mayhem inspired arcade shoot em up.

7.1

Payday 2: Crimewave Edition on the PlayStation 4 was developed by Overkill Software before being released under the umbrella of 505 Games. Hyper violent crime robbery action has been the forte of this morally ambiguous series since the release of the first title. The Crimewave Edition looks to master what the initial release, Payday 2, did well while enhancing it in a few key ways. Payday 2: Crimewave Edition is the perfect complement, we found, to those looking for a strategic shooting game that gives them the depth of a decent RPG with the action of a mayhem inspired arcade shoot em up. There’s a lot to love about this title so we picked up a copy for the PS4 and got down to business.

Back on the PS3 you might have spent time with Payday 2 and if you did you are already familiar with the core experience on offer here. While the PS4 and XB1 are getting their share of fair flack for merely porting over popular titles from the last generation, this title does a little more with its transfer. What we have here Is an HD version of a great game, brought up to what we consider is needed out of a current gen release. This is the definitive version of Payday 2 and you don’t need to spend any time with the older release. Even if you have played the older release, there is some new stuff on tap for you to dig into.

Payday 2 isn’t your typical shooting game and it isn’t your typical crime game either. What this game does is put you fully into the shoes of a group of desperate men on a mission to make some money in any way that they see fit as long as it involves guns, planning, and skirting the strong arm of the law. In the first level of the game you are thrown right into the fray when you attack a bank vault. As you try to keep control of the situation things are rapidly beginning to deteriorate. People are running all around you, the police are on their way and the vault itself is still a challenge that you have to solve. This is only the first tease of the heist mayhem that is on offer.

Taking hints from games like Skyrim and the Call of Duty class systems, Payday 2 allows players to craft their own perfect heist machine. There are different classes that you can choose from when you first begin: Mastermind, Enforcer, Ghost and so on. Each class has their own specialty, which should be self evident from their names, but they don’t pigeon hole you into one set of skills. As you do more jobs you can branch out and put your skill points wherever you want in order to make the most well rounded or specified criminal that you want. This RPG like customization gives you enough room to feel like you are crafting a unique individual rather than just taking advantage of a system put in place before you.

Crimewave Edition gives gamers all of the DLC that was previously released for Payday 2. There is a lot of different content for you to dig into and not all of them are centered around robbing banks or busting open cash registers. You have your slew of standard robbery missions as well as computer hacking and busting into homes. At a certain point in the game you will even go toe to toe with the mafia in a Hotline Miami stylized mission. Though the jobs themselves don’t sound terribly unique they are in fact procedurally generated. This means that key bits of information and level design change every single time that you replay them. No two rooms are set up in the same way, doors are in different areas, guards are in different spots, and everything that you game planned for before will be different. You have to come into each mission with a fresh slate and the willingness to be flexible on the go.

Jobs range in terms of difficulty and the higher your difficulty the more you get rewarded in terms of money and XP. XP helps you fuel the evolution of your character while all of your payouts get stuffed in an offshore bank account. Once you hit your prestige you are able to access that cash and begin to earn infamy points. These infamy points give you access to another set of skills that will have you making even more cash. In order to get to infamy points you have to be worth $200 million with a level 100 character. Not an easy task and it’ll be a grind fest in order to get to that point. Fortunately the game is fun enough that you shouldn’t have a trouble nailing it over time.

Just like in real life bank robberies (we think) each job is all about how well you prepare yourself. Before each mission you have the ability to go over maps, buy favors from people on the inside, and even set up some ammo drops and back up help. You can place snipers around surrounding buildings to give you cover, stash weapons in certain areas, and pay off guards to look the other way. Prepping for the big heist is as fun as the heist itself and it definitely sets the mood for what you are going to do, which cannot be undersold.

There is a ton of stuff to love about Payday 2: Crimewave Edition and most of it has to do with how playable the title is. There is always something to work toward and always something new to try out. The progression system is top notch and it is easy to get into multiplayer games. The procedurally generated levels keep things fresh and the achievements and unlockables keep you pushing forward.